yellow cassava to deal with pro vitamin A deficiency

I confirm that I am fully aware of the eligibility criteria, and based on its description, I am eligible to apply to the CSV Prize 2017.

Yes, I'm eligible

Preferred language

English

Organization name

shiba sasa

Year founded

2016

Initiative stage

Growth (the pilot has already launched and is starting to expand)

Annual budget in 2017 (USD)

$250k - $500k

Number of beneficiaries impacted so far

500 - 1,000

Organization type

Social enterprise

Secondary Focus Area

Rural development

Nutrition

Headquarters location: Country

Kenya

Headquarters location: City

Nakuru

Location(s) of impact

Kenya ,Nakuru

Website

www.shibasasa.org

Problem: What problem is this initiative trying to address?

pro vitamin deficiency in children in marginalized areas

Solution Summary: What is the proposed solution? What do you see as its most promising aspects for creating shared value?

We now promote the bio fortification of yellow cassava for improved nutritional content. This is a largely new concept that is just taking ground in Kenya. By working on the improvement of the quality of root crops like cassava, we intend to improve communities’ staple diets so that no child will drop out of school due to blindness. The future is in adoption of biotechnology to feed and sustain our communities. Not only will we be combating hunger and nutritional deficiency through our work, but by supporting the farmers, we will also be giving our communities the opportunity to earn a better living.

Impact: What is the impact of the work to date? Specify both the social and the environmental impact of your work

Through our program, we have obtained bio fortified yellow cassava clones and establish nurseries before issuing them to farmers in cassava growing areas. We process the cassava to make products like flour, cakes, chips, fructose, and ethanol as well as animal fodder (the leaves can be used as vegetables and when dried, can be fed to animals).
In addition to promoting adoption of the yellow cassava variety for food and nutrition security, Shiba Sasa will also be empowering farmers to carry out value addition so as to earn extra income. Our products will also be packaged and sold in urban markets.
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Financial sustainability plan: How is this initiative financially supported? How will you ensure its financial sustainability long-term?

earned income

Unique value proposition: What makes your initiative innovative? How does your project differ from other organizations working in the same field?

People find the yellow cassava sweeter and higher in nutrition

Founding story: Share a story about the "Aha!" moment that sparked the beginning of this initiative.

Shiba Sasa began from the realization that most of the cassava produced and marketed in Kenya is of the less nutritionally valuable white variety. At the same time, many areas in Kenya have witnessed an increase in preventable childhood blindness because of lack of vitamin A. Since this can be prevented through proper diet, we thought that, instead of using supplements, we can have the necessary vitamins and minerals incorporated into children’s staple diets.

Where did you hear about the Nestlé Creating Shared Value Prize?

Upon recommendation from others

Evaluation results

2 evaluations so far

1. Overall evaluation

5 - This idea rocked my world. It’s awesome! - 0%

4 - This idea seems really exciting. With a little more polishing, it’d be among my favorites. - 50%

3 - I think the idea is great, but it needs some work before it moves onto the next round. - 50%

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1comment

Your activity to encourage people to plant ad use bio-fortified yellow cassava is commendable. Please work on a sound financial sustainability plan to help you attract investors and grow your project in addition to a strong marketing campaign to get more customers.